1998A&A...333..172Q

Core and conal emission beams of radio pulsars have been identified observationally (Rankin 1983ApJ...274..333R, 1993ApJ...405..285R, 1993ApJS...85..145R; Lyne and Manchester, 1988MNRAS.234..477L). In the inner gap model (Ruderman and Sutherland, 1975ApJ...196...51R, hereafter RS75), the gap continually breaks down (sparking) by forming electron-positron pairs on a time scale of a few microseconds (RS75). This makes a large amplitude low frequency wave which would be scattered by relativistic particles moving out from the gap. Under this assumption, Qiao (1988VA.....31..393Q, 1992, in the magnetospheric structure and emission mechanisms of radio pulsars, p. 239) presented an Inverse Compton Scattering (ICS) model for both core and conal emissions. This paper develops the model. Retardation and aberration effects due to different radiation components emitted from different heights are considered. The luminosity of pulsar radio emission via the ICS process is discussed. Coherent emission by bunches of particles is adequate to explain pulsar radiation. The theoretical results agree with observations very well.